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SURPRISE — BILL GATES is coming to the Senate this morning to talk energy and technology policy with members of the upper chamber. At the briefing — hosted by Jeff Bingaman and Lisa Murkowski — Gates and other captains of industry are slated to discuss a new report on energy innovation.

THE RULES: The meeting invite, obtained by POLITICO, specifies that senators may bring no more than one staffer to the meeting. Stay tuned to POLITICO Pro for more details as they become available.

PART OF A TREND — Gates appears to be stepping up his involvement in energy policy, as he recently accepted an invitation to host ARPA-E’s third annual summit in February.

HAPPY TUESDAY and welcome to Morning Energy, where your host’s invitation to the Gates briefing must have been lost in the mail. But fear not, for he and Darius Dixon are hosting a competing briefing titled “Building Lasting Peace with the Romulans, Lessons from the Klingon War.” Senators are invited, but for security reasons are asked to set all phasers to stun before entering Dixon’s apartment. To get the details on Dorkapalooza 2011 — or to hook ME up with Wednesday’s best energy news — drop a line to preis@politico.com.

OBAMA GOES AFTER OIL AND GAS TAXES … AGAIN — Obama’s $450 billion jobs plan would be paid for in part by scaling back a list of tax incentives for the oil and gas industry if the president had his way.

The thing is, on this point, the president likely won’t. Obama included virtually the same wish list in his 2012 budget proposal and his proposals from years past, but the plans have been nonstarters in Republican- and Democrat-controlled Congresses alike. Goode has the details on Obama’s tax proposal for Pros: http://politico.pro/nqvc7U

SOLYNDRA’S DARK CLOUD FOR SOLAR — Solyndra’s conversion from poster boy to problem child is turning into a big black eye for renewable energy companies. But while Republicans are intent on turning Solyndra’s demise into a problem for Obama’s energy agenda, the companies themselves are also crying foul over their treatment from the left.

Wind and solar companies were handed excessive baggage when politicians and environmentalists made economic predictions about green jobs that were never possible, says Tim Greeff, policy director at the Clean Economy Network, a coalition of clean technology businesses. "Sometimes we get sucked into the fray when we're not willing participants," Greeff said. "They made promises they had no role in delivering on."

Darren Samuelsohn has the details — including the industry’s strategy for staying clear of the Solyndra fallout and the Republican National Committee’s plan for keeping Obama at the center of it — for Pros: http://politi.co/mQDm45

HERMAN CAIN AT THE TEA PARTY DEBATE — Herman Cain went on the attack against “an EPA that’s gone wild” during the CNN/Tea Party Express-hosted debate for Republican presidential contenders.

When asked about the path to energy independence, Cain proposed a “regulatory reduction commission” that would aggressively review federal regulations for all agencies, starting with the environmental agency. Alex Guillen has the details for Pros: http://politico.pro/qyIzRl

STRAIGHT CASH, HOMEY — Coal companies have contributed $1.5 million to John Boehner’s political coffers this year, boosting the speaker’s campaign finances as he leads the fight against the Obama administration’s regulatory agenda, The Wall Street Journal reports: http://on.wsj.com/otUQ9e

HOUSE CONTINUES EPA ATTACK — The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s energy and power panel is slated to vote today on two bills to delay EPA air toxics rules for industrial boilers and cement plants. Republicans have the votes to pass both, which face strong opposition from the EPA. The markup is at 10 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn.

OH… AWKWARD: Are you not following @POLITICOPro on Twitter yet? And here your host thought you were ready for a lunch table with the cool kids. [Shakes head in disappointment]

EPA READY FOR OZONE COURT BATTLE — The EPA told a federal appeals court Monday that it won’t oppose moving ahead on a lawsuit challenging the George W. Bush administration’s 2008 ozone standard. The EPA has urged the court to keep the case on ice while it reconsidered, but now that the White House has dropped plans to revise the rule, the administration says it won't oppose reinstating the briefing schedule first set by the court in 2008. More on ozone from Bravender: http://politico.pro/mZUC8E

David Baron, an Earthjustice attorney representing greens and public health groups in court, said of the EPA's motion: “It reads as though they didn’t have anything to do with delaying this whole thing for two years for nothing and now we should just start off as though we’re at the beginning again," he said.

** A message from America's Natural Gas Alliance: ANGA member companies are proud of the innovative methods being developed to unlock America's natural gas resources safely and responsibly. Learn more about these innovations. http://bit.ly/qpFTrt **

EPA PUSHES BACK ON LUMINANT CLAIMS — EPA officials are fighting back against Luminant's claims that the agency's Cross-State Air Pollution Rule will force the Texas power generator to shutter units and lay off about 500 workers. EPA Region 6 Administrator Al Armendariz yesterday wrote on Twitter, "Agency leadership had been in discussions with Luminant. Instead of dialogue, Luminant quits talking." He linked to a Sept. 11 letter to Luminant's CEO from EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe asking Luminant to explore compliance options identified by EPA before deciding to idle facilities and close mines. The letter: http://1.usa.gov/pkb98n

‘GASLAND’ LEAVES A MARK — The natural gas industry is losing the public relations battle over fracking and “Gasland” — the 2010 documentary from Josh Fox — is a big reason why, the president of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association told an oil and gas industry meeting in Denver on Monday.

“We need to change,” said Tisha Conoly-Schuller. “We’re talking to moms and dads and grandmothers who are worried about the safety of the water their children are drinking, and that’s an emotional issue. It hits a chord. We need to be sensitive to that. We’re not on engineering and scientific turf anymore, we’re on emotional turf, and we need to get our point across.” More from NaturalGasWatch.org: http://bit.ly/omtfya.

MAKING MOVES — Tom Lawler, a former aide to then-Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and a top climate and energy staffer for Sen. Tom Carper, is taking his talents to the private sector, opening up his own K Street lobby shop called Lawler Strategies. (Nod to National Journal’s Chris Frates)

GRIST GETS NEW LEADERSHIP — Scott Rosenberg is taking over as Grist’s new executive editor, the environmental news site has announced. Rosenberg was a co-founder of Salon.com and founder of MediaBugs.com, a project aimed at correcting errors and other problems in media coverage. Grist’s announcement: http://bit.ly/r08mtL

LADIES LOVE COOL [ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY] — Whether Democrat or Republican, female elected officials vote greener than their male counterparts, according to a new report from Rachel’s Network. The report: http://bit.ly/oXs0qZ

ANTI-FRACKERS HIT THE PHONES — Food and Water Watch today is staging a national call-in day that asks citizens to call President Obama to urge a ban on fracking in the country. Organizers say the calls are necessary because, among other reasons, the administration’s energy policy does not rely predominantly on renewable energy: http://bit.ly/ngp1tn

ON THE HILL TODAY
10 a.m. — A House oversight subcommittee holds a hearing on Obama’s job plan. Stanford professor and Hoover Institution senior fellow John Taylor will testify, as will Center for American Progress Senior Economist Heather Boushey. 2154 Rayburn.

10 a.m. — The House Natural Resources public lands panel meets to review a string of bills that would limit the existing president’s authority to create new National Monuments without an act of Congress. Sen. Orrin Hatch is slated to testify. 1334 Longworth.

10:30 a.m. — The supercommittee meets for a hearing on what is driving the nation into debt and the risks that entails. 216 Hart.

OFF THE HILL TODAY
8 a.m. — Charles McConnell, chief operating officer of DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy, will discuss the role of fossil fuels in a sustainable energy future at the 28th Annual International Pittsburgh Coal Conference.

10:15 a.m. — The Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future hosts a public meeting to solicit feedback on the draft commission report on the nuclear fuel cycle. The meeting is in Denver. The BRC: http://bit.ly/dOcR7H

3:15 p.m. — The Critical Consumer Issues Forum presents a new report on modernizing the power grid. 801 Mount Vernon Place NW.

LIGHTNING ROUND
-- Nascar runs on fossil fuels, but the business is going green as it looks to cut its fuel costs. The New York Times: http://nyti.ms/pwopiQ

-- A group of Japanese senior citizens are asking to be allowed to work at the Fukushima site, arguing that their lives are less likely to be cut short by radiation poisoning. NPR: http://n.pr/n7PR7C

THAT’S ALL FOR ME, but your host suggests readers buy stock in prunes producers and Metamucil vendors, as science writer Paul Voosen and energy specialist Kate Ling today are celebrating their combined 60 years on planet earth. A big ME happy birthday to them both.

** A message from America’s Natural Gas Alliance: One solution for more abundant domestic energy is staring us in the face. Natural gas is the natural choice — now and in the future. We know we need to use cleaner, American energy. And, we have it. Today, the U.S. has more natural gas than Saudi Arabia has oil, giving us generations of this clean, domestic energy source. Natural gas supports 2.8 million American jobs, most states are now home to more than 10,000 natural gas jobs. As Congress and the Administration look for ways toward a cleaner tomorrow, the answer is right here: natural gas. Learn more at www.anga.us. And, follow us on Twitter @angaus. **